For the lack of a better word
by katniss-mermaid
Summary: It's nearing the end of sixth year, and Harry notices something strange going on with Malfoy. What happens when Draco confides in Harry?
1. Chapter 1

Hey! This is for a challenge! I won't bore you, so enjoy!:)

* * *

Snape hurried in, robes billowing behing him. He fell to the floor, leaning over Malfoy and muttering incantations. The crimson blood seeped back towards his shirt, receding back to his body. Harry would have done something, to help, but what could he do? He didn't dare ask Snape, he'd probably get a cutting remark about how he'd done enough already. He stood, rooted to the spot, not knowing what had just happened. One minute, he and Malfoy were exchanging hexes, the next, Malfoy was bleeding all over the previously pristine white tiled floor. Moaning Myrtle was still sobbing and wailing overhead. Eventually, after what seened like a lifetime to a guilt-ridden Harry, Snape heaved Malfoy up from the floor, panting at the mere energy taken by the counter curses.  
"You need the hosital wing. There may be a certain amount of scarring, but if you take dittany immediately we might avoid that even that... come..." He then attempted to haul the blonde across the bathroom, pausing at the door to glare at Harry, saying, "And you, Potter... you wait here for me." Harry just looked to the wet floor, and up to Moaning Mrytle. It did not occur to Harry for a single second to disobey Snape.  
When Snape returned, he sneered at the raven-haired boy. He told Mrytle to go. She did, probably hopefully thinking that there was about to be a murder. Then again, she probably wouldn't mind, thinking she'd be able to share a bathroom with Harry for the rest of eternity, she had offered it during second year, after all.  
"I didn't mean it to happen." Harry tried to defend himself to Snape, but it was to no avail. Snape was never going to believe him. "I didn't know what the spell did." Snape merely raised an eyebrow at the boy.  
"Apparently I underestimated you, Potter." He said quietly. "Who would have thought you knew such dark magic? Who taught you that spell?"  
"I - read about it somewhere." It wasn't technically a lie, if you thought about it. He had read about it. In a textbook from the potions classroom.  
"Where?" What did he say? He couldn't tell him about the book, he would take it.  
"It was- A library book." He started. Damn. Snape would ask what it was called next. "I don't remember what it was call-"  
"Liar." Snape knew. Harry knew that Snape knew. Snape knew that Harry knew he knew. Yet he still went ahead and invaded his mind. Harry stumbled back as Snape rooted through his thoughts violently. The image of the potions book appeared, with "Property of the Half-Blood Prince" scrawled inside.  
"Bring me your schoolbag, and all of your school books. All of them. Bring them to me here. Now!" Harry left in a hurry, not wanting to face Snape's wrath any more than he already was. He planned on getting there and back as fast as he possibly could. Unfortunately, Ron was at the top of the stairs. He gaped at Harry.  
" Where've you -? Why are you soaking -? Is that blood?" That was it, he could take Ron's potions book. He was saved!  
"I need your book. Your potions book. Quick... Give it to me..." He panted, only just stopping to relax.

"This is your copy of Advanced Potion-Making, is it, Potter?" Merlin, how did he know?  
"Yes." He lied, still panting from the run earlier.  
"You're quite sure of that, are you, Potter?"  
"Yes." Harry repeated, getting annoyed. If the bat knew he was lying, he might as well save them both time and tell him now.  
"This is the copy of Advanced Potion-Making that you purchased from Flourish and Blotts?" Not that Harry had actually bought a copy this year, seeing as how he'd been forced into taking potions this year.  
"Yes." Harry was a fool to think this would ever work. Hermione would kill him when she found out.  
"Then why, does it have the name Roonil Wazlib written inside the front cover?"  
"That's my nickname." Great going, thought Harry, like he's going to believe that. Why the bloody hell would his nickname (not that he had one) be Roonil Wazlib? The idea was completely rediculous.  
"Your nickname?" Wonderful. Now, not only did Snape not believe him, he thought he was a freak too.  
"Yeah... that's what my friends call me," said Harry, willing Snape to believe him.  
"I understand what a nickname is," said Snape. Well, it came as a surprise to Harry, it wasn't like Snape ever had friends. Though he should probably spend more time thinking about a better cover stories, than thinking about Snape's social life.  
"Do you know what I think, Potter?" said Snape, very quietly. "I think that you are a liar and a cheat and that you deserve detention with me every Saturday until the end of term. What do you think, Potter?"

"I-I don't agree, sir," said Harry.

"A month? Well, honestly mate, I can't say I'm surprised he didn't believe you." Said Ron later, as they talked from bed to bed.  
"Well what would you have done?"  
"Accidentally bumped my head so I didn't have to go back?" They both laughed, and settled down. Harry thought about Ginny. She seemed to like him, and what would she say if he didn't ask her out? What if she kissed him? It wasn't that he didn't like her, per se. He just thought of her more like... a sister. Like him and Hermione.  
"Ron, do you think I should ask Ginny out?" Nothing was thrown at him, so that was definately a good thing.  
"Why?" That wasn't a yes, or a no.  
"I think she likes me."  
"'Course she does, idiot." Ron yawned, seemingly unconcerned. "But, do you like her?" Harry thought on this before making an uncommitted sound. "If you like her, then sure. Just don't mess her round okay?" Harry nodded, before turning over and welcoming the sleep that came so easily to him.


	2. Chapter 2

Hey! I know some of the speech is the same as in hbp, but it needs to, to flow with the story, so just go with it. Any thoughts or ideas would be appreciated! Enjoy!

* * *

"You put Malfoy in the hospital wing?" Hermione could not believe what Harry was recounting to her.

"Yeah, by accident. And I do not think he's staying there."

"You don't think? Well go and check!" Yeah, that'd go down a treat.

"What, hey Malfoy, sorry for nearly doing away with you, thought I would come visit!" He said sarcastically, obviously not agreeing with Hermione's idea.

"With the cloak, you blunder-head!" She sighed, shaking her head. "Gosh, do I have to do everything for you?" Harry sighed, knowing Hermione would get her way in the end. He rushed up to his dorm to collect the cloak before hurrying to the hospital wing, cursing Hermione for being right.

Malfoy sat on the edge of the bed, and ran a hand through his platinum locks. How had Potter known that spell? It certainly wasn't taught in Hogwarts, and if it was in the library, it would be in the restricted section. Professor Snape said that the curse could have been fatal. Perhaps he could use it for his task? No. If Saint Potter knew the spell, he was sure Dumbledore would know how to stop him. He would just have to Avada the old man. He didn't want to. He had to though, or he'd kill him. He'd probably kill his mother, too, and he couldn't let that happen. His mother was the only person in the world he was confident that he truly loved.

His train of thought was interrupted by a rustling behind the curtains. He could see curtains moving, so somebody was obviously there, yet he could see nobody.

"Reveal yourself." When nobody did, Draco reached out, and grabbed something. There was nothing there, yet he was grabbing at something. He pulled the material beneath his hands, and was astounded to find that it was some sort of invisibility cloak, and when he removed it, Potter was revealed. "Potter?"

"I... uh, Hermione said I should check if you were still here?" He asked,more than said.

"Oh. Feeling guilty after nearly killing me?" He asked caustically, but quietly, so as not to alert Madame Pomfrey.

"I didn't do it on purpose. I didn't know what the spell did."

"I could get you expelled, you know." Potter nodded.

"Just like I could get you expelled when I find the evidence to prove you poisoned Katie." Draco groaned in frustration.

"I didn't mean for Katie to get hurt!" Draco realized what he had said as soon as the words left his mouth.

"So you admit it!" Potter looked absolutely gleeful that he'd gained a confession from the blonde boy.

"If you tell anyone, I'll tell them that you tried to kill me. Snape said it could've been fatal you know." Draco allowed himself to sit back onto the bed, picking up a magazine and flicking through, knowing he was winning the dispute.

"Well, like I said, Ferret, I didn't know what it did."

"So you used it anyway, real intelligent, Potter. Make sure you use those brains whilst killing you-know-who." He lifted the cloak, interested for only a moment before tossing it aside, bored. "By the way, are you going to go soon, Pomfrey will be back soon, and I don't want her thinking I'm friends with the likes of you."

"Don't worry, I'm going." Potter retrieved his cloak, throwing it over himself before leaving in a huff. Draco sighed, lying down and attempting to get some sleep. When he finally did, it was filled with images of Voldemort and Dumbledore and Snape. Draco hadn't had a proper night's sleep in weeks, since he had been set his task.

"I thought you could start," Snape started, "With boxes one thousand and twelve to one thousand and fifty-six. You will find some familiar names in there, which should add interest to the task. Here you see..." Snape pulled out a small card from one of the boxes and read aloud, "James Potter and Sirius Black. Apprehended using an illegal hex upon Bertram Aubrey. Aubrey's head twice normal size. Double detention." Snape sneered. "It must be such a comfort to think that, though they are gone, a record of their great achievement remains..."

Harry began the tedious work, copying out the scrawled writing. He was not surprised to find that Sirius' and James' names appeared much more than Remus' and Peter's. It was a shame that he would be missing the quidditch match. Ginny would be upset that he was missing it. He had put off the thought of asking out Ginny. He was confused by what Ron had said. He thought his friend would be more upset at the prospect of him asking out his sister. He had told him to only ask her out if he was sure he liked her. Harry wasn't entirely sure whether he liked the red head or not, so he decided to put it off, though maybe he should talk to Ginny about it.

"We won!" was the first thing he heard upon entering the common room. "We won! Four hundred and fifty to a hundred and forty! We won!" Harry looked around, grinning. He was glad that Gryffindor had won, they needed it if they wanted to win the cup. When he saw Ginny, she was running over to him, a hard look in her eyes. She pressed her lips to his and grabbed his face. In the shock of the moment, Harry could do nothing but stand, staring at the red headed girl in front of him. When she pulled away, she was blushing slightly and cheers and clapping broke out from all around the room. Harry glanced at Ron, afraid of what his best friend's reaction would be. He just gave a little jerk of his head, which he took to mean, "Well - if you must". Harry realized, as Ginny kissed him again, he felt nothing. He couldn't exactly tell her that now though, could he, in front of everybody. Harry decided he'd have to talk to Ginny later, after the party had calmed down a little.


End file.
